Whirling sound-producing toy

ABSTRACT

A sound-producing toy has a thin elongated body which is attached to a cord at one end. Apertures in the body adjacent the other end create a distinctive sound or noise as the body is swung through the air on a cord. The noise producing apertures comprise edge serrations and/or openings through the body.

O Umted States Patent [191 [111 3,772,21

Madden et al. [4 Nov, 2%, W73

WHIRLING SOUND-PRODUCING TOY FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [7 5 Inventors; Richard Madden, Science Hill; 984,074 7/1951 France 46/52 Donald Maddemsomerset, both 543,251 3/1922 France 46/52 of Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene A5Signee3 nt y e d Industries Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting a Lexmgtonz y- Attorney-James s. Hight et a1. [22] Filed: Apr. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 248,588 [57] ABSTRACT A sound-producing toy has a thin elongated body 52 US. Cl. 46/52 which is attached 3 at Apertures 51 Int. Cl A63h 5/00 the adjacent the end create a distinctive [58] Field of Search 46/51 52 wise as is swung thmugh the ah a cord. The noise producing apertures comprise edge [56] References Cited serrations and/or openings through the body.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,316,671 5/1967 King 46/52 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I L 1" i A i U as j V; M

PATENTED MW 2 0 i975 a/iv WHIRLING SOUND-PRODUCING TOY This invention relates to sound-producing amusement devices, and more particularly to a device attached to the end of a cord which, when swung through the air, will produce a variety of whirling sounds.

It is generally known to provide a body with a beveled edge, attach it to a cord, and whirl it through the air in order to produce a humming noise. Such a device is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,316,671. The device of that patent includes a rectangularly shaped flat stock piece and beveled edges along the longitudinal sides of the device. A cord is attached to one end of the device, and the device is swung through the air. The beveled edges cause it to whirl about its attachment to the cord thereby twisting about the cord.

It has been a primary object of the invention to provide sound-producing structures for making a variety of different whirling noises.

In the present invention, this is accomplished by the provision of an elongated body provided at one end with means to secure the body to a cord, and with a number of openings or serrations adjacent the other "end which produce a distinct rather loud whirling or humming noise when the body is swung through the air on the cord. The body may have a number of different outline shapes and aperture configurations, each of which produces a distinctive noise particular to it. Thus, by providing a number of differently structured bodies, an operator may produce different sounds by using different body and/or aperture configurations.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a general view showing a device in accordance with the invention attached to a cord and being swung through the air about the hand of an operator;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the device illustrating its relative thinness as compared to its length and width portions, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention showing elliptically tapered edges and serrations along the tapered edges;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention showing a rectangular body provided with alternating apertures;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention showing a sound-producing end with a straight taper and a single row of apertures; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention showing a tapered body portion with circular ends and serrations and openings along the soundproducing end.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a body incorporating elements of the invention is generally shown at 10. The body 10 is attached to a cord 11 at an end 12 of the cord. The other end 13 of the cord is attached to a ring 14 which is adapted to be slipped over the finger of an operator's hand 15. The body is swung about the hand of an operator along a generally circular path 16, to produce a humming or whistling noise.

While the body 10 may include a number of different structures, FIGS. 3--6 discloses four particular embodiments. In FIG. 3, a body 17 includes a first end 18 and a second end 19. The first end 18 is provided with an aperture 20 for the purpose of attaching the device 17 to a cord such as the cord at 11 in FIG. 1. Body 17 has elliptically tapering edges 21 and 22. These edges taper to a rather round, blunt point 23. Serrations 241 are provided along the elliptically tapering edges 21 and 22. When the body 17 is swung on a cord through the air, the elliptical edges and serrations produce a distinctive noise.

It is to be understood that while FIG. 3 shows edge serrations, the term aperture is used through this application in order to define either serrations such as those shown in FIG. 3 or the unbroken openings extending through the body interiorily of the edge of the body.

FIG. 4 depicts a body 25 having a first end 26 provided with aperture 27 for attachment to a cord. The body 25 has a second end 28 of rectangular shape as shown in the drawing. The body of FIG. 4 has longitudinal straight edges 29 and 30 and a transverse end 30a, adjacent to end 28. Apertures in the form of openings 31 are provided in two rows in alternating fashion as shown along the edges 29 and 30 of the end 28. The straight edges coupled with the apertures produce a distinctive noise when the body is swung through the 'air, which has a different sound than the body of FIG.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5 and includes a body 32 having a first end 33 and an aperture 34 therein for securing the body to a cord (not shown). The other end 35 of the body 32 has tapering edges 36 and 37 which terminate a slight distance apart on a line 38 which is transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the body. The end 35 of the body 32 is provided with apertures in the form of openings 39. These apertures extend along the tapering edges 36 and 37 and along the longitudinal parallel edges of the body portion 32 toward the end 33 of the body portion. This structure provides a distinctive noise when the body is swung through the air on the end of the cord.

FIG. 6 discloses another embodiment of the invention. This includes an elongated body 40 having a rounded end 41 provided with an aperture 42 for attaching the body to a cord (not shown). The body 40 has a second end 13 which is also rounded. It will be noted that the width of the body 40 at end 411 is narrower than the body at the end 413. The body 410 thus tapers from a rather narrow dimension at end 411 to a wider dimension at second end 43. Apertures in the form of open serrations, teeth, or notches 41 are provided on each longitudinal edge of the body portion 41), and extend from the curved portion of the end 43 along the straight edges of the body. In addition, holes or apertures 45 are located adjacent serrations 441 along the edges and around the end 43 of the body. This structure produces a distinctive noise when swung through the air.

The body can be cut from flat sheet material, such as polyethylene, polystyrene, aluminum or steel, but it is preferred to injection mold it from a thermoplastic. The use of a camber or airfoil shape is not important, and flat sheet material may be punched to provide the described configurations.

The size of the apertures may be about 1/16 3/32 inches in diameter. The apertures are preferably concentrated adjacent the body end that is remote from the cord, but apertures can be used at that end as well.

Each of the embodiments as described and shown in FIGS. 3-6 is operated by swinging the body through the air while attached to the end of a cord. The various shapes of the respective bodies and the various arrangements of apertures in the bodies create distinct noises as each body is swung through the air. The tone and volume of the noise may be varied depending upon the rate at which the body is moved through the air.

While we have described out invention our detail, alterations and modifications will become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, and we desire to be limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Sound producing amusement apparatus of the type adapted to be swung through the air to produce a distinctive sound, the apparatus comprising an elongated flat body having a first end and a second end spaced from said first end, said body also having two opposite surfaces, and being relatively thin in comparison to its width, each of said surfaces being defined by body edges,

said body being attached to a cord at said first end for swinging the body through the air, and

a plurality of aperture means in said body adjacent said second end for producing a noise when said body is swung through the air on said cord, said aperture means being positioned at least adjacent to the body edges at said second end,

each of said aperture means being small in relation to the width of said body.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the edges of said body are elliptically tapered to a round portion at said second end, and wherein said apertures comprise serrations provided along the tapering edges adjacent said second end.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said second end has parallel and transverse edges forming a rectangular shape and wherein said apertures are alternately spaced adjacent the parallel edges of said second end.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said body has tapered edges which angle toward second end and wherein said apertures extend along and adjacent to said tapered edges and toward said second end.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said body has diverging edges tapering from a relatively narrow dimension at said first end to a relatively wider dimension at said second end and there terminating in a curved portion at said second end, and wherein said apertures comprise serrations provided along edges adjacent said second end.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the body of said apparatus is injection molded of thermoplastic material.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the apertures comprise holes and/or edge serrations.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the apertures have diameters 9f @292! L/ 9. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein,

portions of said edges of said body define said second end,

said portions of said edges defining said second end are tapered toward one another such that said second end is tapered, and

wherein said aperture means extend both along and are adjacent to the tapered edge portions at said second end and extend toward said first end adjacent other edge portions of said body. 

1. Sound producing amusement apparatus of the type adapted to be swung through the air to produce a distinctive sound, the apparatus comprising an elongated flat body having a first end and a second end spaced from said first end, said body also having two opposite surfaces, and being relatively thin in comparison to its width, each of said surfaces being defined by body edges, said body being attached to a cord at said first end for swinging the body through the air, and a plurality of aperture means in said body adjacent said second end for producing a noise when said body is swung through the air on said cord, said aperture means being positioned at least adjacent to the body edges at said second end, each of said aperture means being small in relation to the width of said body.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the edges of said body are elliptically tapered to a round portion at said second end, and wherein said apertures comprise serrations provided along the tapering edges adjacent said second end.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said second end has parallel and transverse edges forming a rectangular shape and wherein said apertures are alternately spaced adjacent the parallel edges of said second end.
 4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said body has tapered edges which angle toward second end and wherein said apertures extend along and adjacent to said tapered edges and toward said second end.
 5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said body has diverging edges tapering from a relatively narrow dimension at said first end to a relatively wider dimension at said second end and there terminating in a curved portion at said second end, and wherein said apertures comprise serrations provided along edges adjacent said second end.
 6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the body of said apparatus is injection molded of thermoplastic material.
 7. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the apertures comprise holes and/or edge serrations.
 8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the apertures have diameters of about 1/16 - 3/32 inches.
 9. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein, portions of said edges of said body define said second end, said portions of said edges defining said second end are tapered toward one another such that said second end is tapered, and wherein said aperture means extend both along and are adjacent to the tapered edge portions at said second end and extend toward said first end adjacent other edge portions of said body. 